Did it without informed consent through the Austrian system (three specialist statements and a doctor's appointment at a doctor who's willing to provide HRT). It took me about 3 months and multiple trips to Vienna (for seeing a clinical psychologist and the doctor without 7 months wait time like my local transgender clinic has). Vienna is like 5 hours away for me. It also was all in all like 1.000€ out of pocket and I got only refunded 300€ of it by government insurance. But I still would do it that way again and recommend it to my trans friends.

In Germany there's also self-paid informed consent via online presciption e.g. dokter-online, haven't tried that myself, but have heards good things about it from Germans.